Forensic Accounting

Forensic accounting investigators are not financial statement auditors, and vice-a-versa. While their roles sometimes overlap, financial statement auditors and forensic accounting investigators tackle financial fraud issues from different perspectives, usually using different information that is documented in different ways and for different purposes. Think of the auditors as the patrolmen and the forensic accounting investigators as the detectives. Auditors have techniques of uncovering more indicia of fraud. When indicia of fraud surface, call Price Kong (“detectives”) to aid in developing and implementing investigative procedures that will help resolve the concerns or allegations, and uncover the facts.

Information gathering and analytical procedures:

Our investigators have extensive experience in identifying the most relevant sources of information and performing analytical procedures designed to dig deeper into an allegation of fraud.

Anonymous communications:

If you are in receipt of any form of anonymous communication that suggests the existence of issues within or affecting your company, we can help. We will help you obtain a thorough understanding of all of the circumstances of the communication and develop an appropriate response. While the circumstances may appear unremarkable and trivial, that information is often a key factor in determining the best approach to dealing with it.

Interviewing employees and others:

When and if the forensic investigation requires interviews, we can do that for you. An interview is a conversation to obtain information and, in some cases, an admission. A great majority of white-collar crimes are solved by a skilled interviewer.

Data mining:

Data mining uses software to assist the forensic accounting investigator in identifying and reviewing unusual data trends, patterns, and anomalies. We have proprietary and proven techniques aimed at taking masses amounts of data and cleaning and organizing it is such a manner that significantly increases the usefulness of the data, without affecting the completeness and accuracy of the original information.

Criminal prosecution support:

Perhaps the most sensitive and difficult of your decisions surrounding a forensic investigation is whether to refer an errant employee for prosecution. This decision can have long-lasting, widespread effects on the company. We will help you as senior management perform a very careful and sophisticated assessment to aid in this very difficult decision.

From this brief discussion of forensic accounting, hopefully the complexity and breath of this accounting discipline is evident. The good news being…we CAN help. In addition to the examples of forensic accounting services described above, contact us to learn more about any of the following related services: